IN cooperation with the Irish Embassy in France and the president of the regional French tourism office, Brinaleck-based cultural entrepreneur, author and journalist, Sean Hillen has launched new St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the Pyrenees-Orientale region in Languedoc, France.
“I’m delighted about this new cultural initiative which will help strengthen the already close bonds between these two countries,” said Sean, who is in the region teaching creative writing to international participants at a week-long retreat organised by Gaoth Dobhair-based ‘Ireland Writing Retreat.’
“I feel it’s every Irish person’s duty wherever possible to help spread the rich culture, history and heritage of Ireland to other countries, so I’m very proud to do so here in France,” he said.
After informing Sean that the Tanaiste, Simon Harris, together with Marian Harkin, Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science had arrived in France for events in Paris, Normandy, Lyon and Monaco, Irish Ambassador to France, Niall Burgess, whom Sean has known for more than 35 years when Sean lived in the US and Niall worked in the Chicago consular office, said: “Historically, France and Ireland have enjoyed very close bonds, culturally, socially and economically. St Patrick’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate these links.
“This year, St Patrick’s Day will be celebrated in towns and at festivals across France. This new St Patrick’s Festival initiative in the Pyrénées-Orientales is a welcome expansion of this global celebration to a region of France, a county that welcomes growing numbers of Irish visitors every year and I wish you and everyone else involved in this interesting project every success.”
Aude Vivès, president of the Pyrénées-Orientales Tourism Development Agency and a leading candidate in upcoming elections for Mayor of Prades, a charming Catalan town in the heart of Languedoc, said: “This is wonderful news and gives welcome support to the development of international tourism that my team and I are considering. We will definitely pursue this avenue of international cooperation, it offers strong potential.
ORIGINS
“The origins of the Catalan heritage and history lie with the Celts together with Iberian and Roman influences so there are already strong synergies moving forward. We welcome and invite Irish people to come here. We not only have a rich Catalan heritage and history but also beautiful countryside with a wide array of hiking trails through forest and over mountains, and, of course, excellent wines and French culinary delights, plus natural spring spas and healing waters in abundance.”
People from many countries including Germany, Scotland, France, Ireland, Romania, Czech Republic and England enjoy the first-ever official St. Patrick’s Day celebrations held in Prades, Pyrenees-Orientales region in Languedoc, France.
Over a 15-year period while owner of a national publishing company and foreign correspondent for The Irish Times in eastern Europe, Sean organised the first-ever such St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Romania before that country even became an EU member and before there was an Irish Embassy there.
These events in six different cities were attended by tens of thousands of people including various Presidents, Prime Ministers, the National Bank Governor, the longest serving in the world, as well as Ambassadors, Ministers, Mayors and Prefects. Musicians from various parts of Donegal, including members of the Letterkenny-based Arcanadh group, singer-guitarist, Keadue, Rosses-based Ian Smith and fiddle-players, Falcarragh-based Theresa Kavanagh and Glenties-based,Tara Connaghan, were flown to Bucharest, the capital city, and nationwide, for those festivities, which Sean combined with the nation’s first-ever Corporate Citizen Awards and Civic Journalism Awards to help strengthen post-Communist society there.
“It would be my great pleasure to bring an array of musicians from Donegal to enjoy the charming towns and villages of the Pyrenees-Orientales region in Languedoc every year for St Patrick’s celebrations, just as I did in Romania,” Sean said.